aeronaut
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- Apr 22, 2021
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My favorite teams
In order for this draft to be a success, I feel the Bears need to find a well above average long term starter at one of two key positions (both would be better, but not realistic):
1) Quarterback (duh)
2) Left Offensive Tackle
A left tackle could play right tackle this year, then slide over to the left after Leno retires next year (after trying and being unable to land a decent contract), or ends up being a LT2 or LT3 somewhere for a few years to collect a few more small paychecks before calling it a career.
A quarterback, well, obviously, we need one. Sid Luckman retired in 1950 - we haven't had a top QB since then, just a few flash in the pan one year pro bowl level QBs. Cutler was decent, but not well above league average. Look at lists of QBs who started by team - the Pack handed off from Favre to Rogers with a few extra names on the list, and we had the full cast of a Broadway musical slinging the rock over that time. Fix the QB, and a lot of weaknesses on the offense can be glossed over. Packers have been teaching us this lesson for the last 30 years, time we learned it. Also note that despite being the oldest franchise in the NFL (along with the Cardinals), we the only franchise that has never had a QB pass for 4000 yards in a season. The game didn't allow that in the 1950s when Sid Luckman and Otto Graham were throwing bombs once every ten plays or so between handing the ball off to grind out yards most of the time. Erik Kramer's 3838 yards is our high water mark. Even the anemic Jets had Broadway Joe throw for over 4000 yards (in a 14 game season, no less, Kramer had 16; now we'll get 17, so Dalton might be the first to do that with a good season). That's just embarrassing, and the McCaskeys should feel bad about it. (I'm pondering having a replica Luckman 42 jersey made, and wearing it to any games I attend as a mild protest.)
Top left OTs don't grow on trees. Look at pro bowl rosters over time, almost all the starting LTs are 1st round picks, a few seconds, and then the outliers like Jason Peters. Leno made a pro bowl once, he was a 7th rounder, but those days are well in his rear view mirror. My gut tells me that if we can't trade up and snag a QB that Nagy likes (he nailed evaluations of Tru, Watson and Mahomes as KC's offensive coordinator), we should do everything we can to get a top LT. I like Jenkins, but doubt he will be a top LT in the NFL. I think he could be a top RT. Part of me hopes (barring getting a QB not named McCorkle) that we trade down in the first, maybe with KC or the Jags, and gain another pick. For example, let KC go from 31 to 20, and we get their second round pick (fair trade on the Rich Hill chart). Or trade down with the Jags, giving them 20 and getting 33, 106, and 145, or giving 20 to get 25, 106, and 165. Then use the late first/early second pick for someone like Cosmi, who projects as a good LT with great athleticism, put him on the right for a year, build up his strength, and get a small steal for our long term LT. His college coach, Tom Herman, is now on the Bears staff, so we should know a lot more about Cosmi than any other team.
Bottom line there - getting the best QB in the league won't do a lot of good if we have below average offensive tackles and said QB gets concussed regularly and retires early.
We also need (in no particular order) a RT, CB, slot CB, slot WR, and a long term answer at safety to help Jackson achieve his full potential. We'll know more about the defense after we see how Sean Desai runs things, now that Pagano has moved on (thank you, football gods). Depth at other positions would be nice, ILB will probably be a need next year, but Trevathian is serviceable this year, and Smith is a stud. We also need to constantly be on the lookout for Hicks eventual replacement, but that can wait another year unless a perfect one falls to us.
1) Quarterback (duh)
2) Left Offensive Tackle
A left tackle could play right tackle this year, then slide over to the left after Leno retires next year (after trying and being unable to land a decent contract), or ends up being a LT2 or LT3 somewhere for a few years to collect a few more small paychecks before calling it a career.
A quarterback, well, obviously, we need one. Sid Luckman retired in 1950 - we haven't had a top QB since then, just a few flash in the pan one year pro bowl level QBs. Cutler was decent, but not well above league average. Look at lists of QBs who started by team - the Pack handed off from Favre to Rogers with a few extra names on the list, and we had the full cast of a Broadway musical slinging the rock over that time. Fix the QB, and a lot of weaknesses on the offense can be glossed over. Packers have been teaching us this lesson for the last 30 years, time we learned it. Also note that despite being the oldest franchise in the NFL (along with the Cardinals), we the only franchise that has never had a QB pass for 4000 yards in a season. The game didn't allow that in the 1950s when Sid Luckman and Otto Graham were throwing bombs once every ten plays or so between handing the ball off to grind out yards most of the time. Erik Kramer's 3838 yards is our high water mark. Even the anemic Jets had Broadway Joe throw for over 4000 yards (in a 14 game season, no less, Kramer had 16; now we'll get 17, so Dalton might be the first to do that with a good season). That's just embarrassing, and the McCaskeys should feel bad about it. (I'm pondering having a replica Luckman 42 jersey made, and wearing it to any games I attend as a mild protest.)
Top left OTs don't grow on trees. Look at pro bowl rosters over time, almost all the starting LTs are 1st round picks, a few seconds, and then the outliers like Jason Peters. Leno made a pro bowl once, he was a 7th rounder, but those days are well in his rear view mirror. My gut tells me that if we can't trade up and snag a QB that Nagy likes (he nailed evaluations of Tru, Watson and Mahomes as KC's offensive coordinator), we should do everything we can to get a top LT. I like Jenkins, but doubt he will be a top LT in the NFL. I think he could be a top RT. Part of me hopes (barring getting a QB not named McCorkle) that we trade down in the first, maybe with KC or the Jags, and gain another pick. For example, let KC go from 31 to 20, and we get their second round pick (fair trade on the Rich Hill chart). Or trade down with the Jags, giving them 20 and getting 33, 106, and 145, or giving 20 to get 25, 106, and 165. Then use the late first/early second pick for someone like Cosmi, who projects as a good LT with great athleticism, put him on the right for a year, build up his strength, and get a small steal for our long term LT. His college coach, Tom Herman, is now on the Bears staff, so we should know a lot more about Cosmi than any other team.
Bottom line there - getting the best QB in the league won't do a lot of good if we have below average offensive tackles and said QB gets concussed regularly and retires early.
We also need (in no particular order) a RT, CB, slot CB, slot WR, and a long term answer at safety to help Jackson achieve his full potential. We'll know more about the defense after we see how Sean Desai runs things, now that Pagano has moved on (thank you, football gods). Depth at other positions would be nice, ILB will probably be a need next year, but Trevathian is serviceable this year, and Smith is a stud. We also need to constantly be on the lookout for Hicks eventual replacement, but that can wait another year unless a perfect one falls to us.
